Vegas Buzz

CONTACT: Ellen Marks 512.329.7497

emarks@kw.com

Keller Williams Realty convention addresses technology trends, market shifts More than 9,000 real estate agents seek timely training at “Family Reunion” in Las Vegas

AUSTIN, TEXAS (March 7, 2007) — More than 9,000 real estate agents gathered in Las Vegas in February to learn business-accelerating tactics at Keller Williams Realty International’s annual convention, “Family Reunion 2007 – Full Speed Ahead.” In addition to offering its traditional lineup of real estate education and networking opportunities, Keller Williams Realty fine-tuned its 2007 program to address the new realities of operating a real estate business in today’s technology-driven market.

To reinforce its commitment to cutting-edge business practices, the fourth-largest residential real estate franchise in North America announced at Family Reunion three new alliances with leading technology companies: WolfNetTM and online search engines Trulia and Google Base. These partnerships will help Keller Williams Realty associates gain better control over how and where their property listings are posted on the Internet. The alliances also will increase the visibility of Keller Williams Realty listings on the Web.

At the core of Family Reunion were more than 150 breakout training sessions that addressed a range of topics, from how to attract investor clients to how to leverage technology to market your business. The instructors at Family Reunion also took a hard look at how recent market shifts across North America have impacted the industry, and how real estate professionals can build their businesses no matter the status of their local economies. Several of the breakout sessions outlined specific models and systems that agents can follow to ensure their businesses continue to gain momentum. The sessions offered insight into buyer and seller behaviors and provided scripts and action items specific to hot and soft markets.

During their State of the Company address, Vice Chairman Mo Anderson and President Mark Willis noted Keller Williams Realty’s record-breaking growth rates despite a sluggish 2006 market.

“Our agents broke records in total gross commission income earned and in profit share,” Willis said. “As always, our No. 1 commitment is increased personal earnings by our associates,” said Anderson.

“In 2005, we broke $2 billion in total commissions earned, and in 2006, we broke $2.5 billion. That’s a 16 percent one-year increase.” Willis said that, in 2005, the company shared a profit of $48 million with its associates; in 2006, Keller Williams Realty shared more than $52 million.

“The way we measure our health as a company and the way we validate that we are in partnership with our associates is to measure the profits we share,” he said, adding that profit share is projected to increase to $65 million in 2007.
2
In addition, the Anderson and Willis noted that the company’s agent count grew to 72,595 in 2006 — a 27 percent increase from 57,146 agents at the end of 2005.

In his annual Vision Speech, Chairman Gary Keller looked beyond the company’s success and addressed the economic state of the real estate market on a whole.

Keller noted that “when you’re used to a boom market, even a slightly unbalanced market can feel like a profound decline into a bad market.” He said that while new home and existing home sales in North America have done better than predicted in the past few years, 2007 will look a little different. “Based on this year’s predictions, the best you can hope for is a flat market,” he said.

Yet, Keller’s outlook remained optimistic. “Successful agents shouldn’t care whether the market is up or down; they should act like it’s always down, because a down market forces you to focus on what really matters,” said Keller, explaining that agents should always focus on the basics — getting the listings, generating new business and leveraging the resources of their professional networks.

Also at Family Reunion, Millionaire Systems, publisher of bestsellers The Millionaire Real Estate Agent and The Millionaire Real Estate Investor, introduced the third book in its Millionaire Real Estate series. FLIP: How to Find, Fix and Sell Houses for Profit generated 2,800 in sales at the Keller Williams Realty event and ranked as the 10th bestseller on Amazon.com on Feb. 12 after its first full week of sales. Authors Rick Villani and Clay Davis were on site to sign copies of the book. As is the tradition at Family Reunion, the company’s charitable arm, KW Cares, hosted its annual silent auction, raising $103,000 for the 501(c)(3) organization. Founded by Vice Chairman Mo Anderson in 2003, KW Cares assists Keller Williams Realty associates and their families in times of extreme hardship. The auction included more than 220 items that were donated from Keller Williams Realty regions across North America. This year’s Family Reunion keynote speaker was best-selling author Ken Blanchard. Blanchard’s The One Minute Manager® has sold more than 17 million copies and has been translated into 27 languages. The Family Reunion concluded with the Eighth Annual Inspirational Brunch. Led by Anderson, who is largely credited for building the Keller Williams Realty culture, the brunch program honored everyday heroes within the Keller Williams Realty family. Keller Williams Realty plans to host its 2008 Family Reunion at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Feb. 10-13.

###

About Keller Williams Realty Inc.: Founded in 1983, Keller Williams Realty Inc. is the fourth-largest real estate franchise operation in North America, with more than 600 offices and 77,000 associates in the United States and Canada. The company’s agent-centric culture emphasizes access to leading-edge education and promotes an economic model that rewards associates as stakeholders and partners. Keller Williams Realty, which began franchising in 1990, is growing by more than a thousand agents a month. Keller Williams Realty associates place high value on professional education and a full-time commitment to real estate sales. For more information, visit Keller Williams Realty online at (www.kw.com).